Part 2

Yahiko and Megumi sprinted through the streets as fast as they could go, Megumi clutching at her bag and the other bandages she carried. Her other hand held up her kimono so she wouldn't trip. Yahiko was running as fast as he could in front of her, still pale and sweating.

They both burst into the dojo's gates, Megumi instantly noting the trail of blood from the gates to the dojo. She threw open the door, then dropped her things in shock. Kenshin lay still on the wood floor, covered in his own blood that was quickly spreading around him. Sano hovered over the rurouni, and for the first time he looked helpless. Kaoru was nowhere to be seen.

Megumi quickly tried to compose herself, gathering up her bag and rushing forward to kneel in the blood surrounding the rurouni. She quickly checked for a pulse, alarmed to find it slow and sluggish. There was blood all over his face, and Megumi gently wiped a cloth over his mouth and nose in hopes to ease his breathing. There was no color to his lips, and his breath came raspy through his mouth. The doctor continued to clean the blood from Kenshin's face, pausing to examine the gash above his right eye.

"Sano, go get me some clean water. Put some more on to boil. Quickly now!" she said, gesturing behind her where she knew the tall man to be. She heard the sound of footsteps hurrying away from her and she returned her focus to Kenshin. She opened his gi, pulling it gently off his right arm, moving carefully with him. She was extra gentle as she noticed the angle of his left arm, sliding the cloth off his arm.

Sano came back carrying a bowl of cool water and a few cloths that he had grabbed. "The water should be ready soon Fox."

Megumi nodded her thanks, taking the offered cloths and soaking one in the water. She avoided the cuts, not wishing for anything to get infected. Those could wait a moment longer for the sterilized water. She carefully looked over Kenshin's chest and torso, noting the already black and green bruise spreading across his left collarbone. She prodded it gently, her expert fingers feeling the bone just beneath the skin. There was a slight fracture, at least by her thinking. She searched Kenshin's face, but there was no reaction in the youthful features, deeply worrying the female physician. Though Kenshin was unconscious there should still be some reaction.

Sano left for a moment, coming back with a steaming bowl. Megumi smiled slightly at him and dipped a cloth in the liquid. She cleaned the gash above Kenshin's eye first, removing splinters of wood and bits of rock. She wrapped a bandage around his head, carefully laying his head back down on a towel Sano had also brought.

"What happened Sano?" she asked quietly, wiping the blood away from the ragged skin of Kenshin's arm, moving slowly so she wouldn't aggravate the wound.

"I don't know for sure," the man replied. "I was sitting in the yard when Jou-chan came running up to me sobbing her eyes out. All I was able to get from her was that Kenshin fell at the ravine. When I got there I found Kenshin on a ledge about 30 feet down. The bridge must have collapsed with him on it."

She narrowed her eyes slightly, carefully removing the items she needed to splint the arm and keep the collarbone from getting worse. Kenshin was still throughout the entire process, even when Megumi had to move his bone back into place so it would heal properly. Sano seemed worried.

"What's wrong with him Fox? Why doesn't he even flinch?" the man said quietly. "It's not normal."

Megumi nodded, finishing wrapping the bandages around Kenshin's arm and chest. She had bound his arm across his chest to keep the collarbone from moving. Though it wasn't broken fully, as the arm was, it could easily be jolted out of place. "You're right Sano, it's not normal." She sighed, sitting back on her heels. "Let's get Ken-san and this floor cleaned up. We'll put him on a futon, and then I'll explain."

She turned to Yahiko. The boy was hovering behind her, worry showing in his brown eyes whether he knew it or not. "Is Kenshin going to be alright Megumi?" he asked shakily.

Megumi smiled reassuringly at him, though she had no emotion behind the gesture. It was merely to calm the boy in front of her. "Hopefully he will be Yahiko. Why don't you help Sano get Ken-san washed while I clean up this floor." There was no question there, so Yahiko followed Sano as the ex-street-fighter gently lifted the limp form of the rurouni and left the room.

Megumi sadly watched them go, then set about her task of cleaning Kenshin's blood off the dojo floors.

Sano brought Kenshin back in, clothed in a light blue yukata and free of blood. Megumi had cleaned the floors and laid out a futon to place Kenshin on.

"Yahiko, go get Kaoru please," the woman said quietly, watching Kenshin's still form. He looked as though he was merely sleeping peacefully, his flame-colored hair spread out beneath his head, freed from its tie. His face was younger in rest, and Megumi could easily see how people mistook him for a teenager.

Yahiko came in leading Kaoru, who was rubbing her watery eyes. She still remembered Kenshin's fall clearly, and the sight of the rurouni lying as still as death on the futon caused her to gasp.

Megumi sighed settling herself onto her knees beside Kenshin's futon. Kaoru sank to the floor on his other side, her sapphire eyes trained on his face. "Kaoru, I've got some bad news."

Kaoru looked up at her, eyes filled with tears. "What Megumi? What more could go wrong?"
Megumi looked down at her hands, fisted in her lap. "Ken-san lives, but for how long I don't know." She could feel Kaoru's stare, and she blinked back tears. "Ken-san has sunk into what doctors call a 'coma.' It's like a very long sleep. There's not a very high chance that he'll wake up."

Kaoru looked at her in shock. "He, he won't wake up?"
Megumi looked up at her. "I honestly don't know Kaoru. All we can do it wait, and keep him alive. Hopefully he'll come back to us."

Kaoru dissolved into tears, picking up Kenshin's limp hand and cradling it to her cheek. "He saved me, all at the risk of himself," she murmured, looking once more at his face. "Please wake up Kenshin."

But Kenshin didn't move. He only continued to sleep, unaware of anything around him.