While Megumi stitched up his leg Kenshin just laid there to tired to move. The spirit of the Battousai…he could still feel it active in him, its will telling him ignore the pain, the tiredness, to keep fighting, keep killing, but he knew he couldn't…he didn't want to…he wanted to stop with the fighting, the killing… wanted to keep Kaoru out of danger, every one out of danger…he wanted to tell Kaoru how he felt and he didn't want to do it as one of them watch the other die. Kaoru…as he laid there listing to her whispering to him, to far to hear her but still close enough to feel her holding his hand.

"Kaoru, can you get Kenshin up? I have to get more thread." Kaoru nodded in response as she watched Megumi get up to leave the room.

"Kenshin?" Not sure if Kenshin was awake she gently shook him. "Kenshin?" Kenshin responded by tightening his grip on her hand. "Can you get up so Megumi can look at you back?" Kenshin started to get up but fell back down. Karou put her arm behind his back to help him. When he was sitting up she started to help him get his gi off. Oh my gods! Kaoru's eyes started to get teary as she looked at Kenshin's back. There were two deep lines were you could see Shishio had nailed him. There were even pieces of his blade that were sticking out of the wound and at the sight of it made Kaoru feel sick to her stomach. When Megumi walked back in she noticed Karou sitting there, tears starting to run down her cheeks.

"Oh my..." Was all Megumi could say when she saw Kenshin's back. She knew it hurt Kaoru badly to see Kenshin like this so she asked her if she wanted to leave. "He'll be ok Kaoru. I'll take good care of him." Kaoru shook her head "Aa, I'm staying here. I told Kenshin I would stay with him and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Then what if you sit in front of Kenshin, he might feel better being able to see you."

Karou got up and sat in front of Kenshin. "Kenshin, dijabou de gozaru ka?"

Kenshin nodded. "Sessha dijabou des." Karou could see in his eyes that the pain was bad but knew he would deny it.

"Megumi, do you have medicine I can give Kenshin?"

"Umm…yes I think I do. Look in my bag for a small blue bottle."

Karou went searching in Megumi's bag until she found it. She then pored some into a cup to give to Kenshin. "Do you want some medicine?" Kenshin shook his head.

Karou really didn't want to guilt Kenshin into taking the medicine but she couldn't stand seeing him like that. He looks like he's going to cry. He's probably blaming himself for Shishio's death. That he killed him, that he broke his vow. "Please Kenshin? It will keep me and Megumi from worrying."

Kenshin hated making people worry, especially the one he cared about. Nodding his head he put out his hand to take the cup and drank it.

An hour latter Megumi had finished the stitches on Kenshin's back and helped Kaoru lay him back down.