Disclaimer: Me no steal. Me too innocent for such petty theft. RAH!

Author's Note: Just so that you don't get confused, the parts labeled 1. are flashbacks.

Kitsune's Confessions

Chapter Three: Perfect Alibi

Almost a week had passed since a badly injured Sanosuke was brought to the clinic. Under Megumi-s round-the-clock treatment with a little bit of Katsu's help, Sanosuke slowly recovered from his injuries and his condition gradually became stable.

Every morning before the clinic was opened, Megumi tended to Sanosuke first, seeing that all his needs were taken care of.

She was secretly grateful that Sanosuke hadn't woken up yet, because that meant she could have more time also with him. More often than not, Megumi would get distracted from her work because of him and she would watch his sleeping form from time to time.

It was her perfect alibi.

…

Megumi finished the daily routine checkup on Sanosuke, except for one thing on her agenda. She needed to check on the injury inflicted on Sanosuke's forehead before filing a report to Dr Gensai.

The lady doctor lifted the bandage and smiled. He was definitely a fighter, Zanza or not. St this rate, he would surely be up and about in no time…

She was about to put it back when she spied a pile of fresh bandages nearby. Should I change it for him?she thought. Oh well. Might as well anyway, since she's such a big fan of them.

Without thinking, the lady doctor recalled the previous occasions when she applied such remedies on the rooster head.

…

1."What happened to you?" Megumi asked, shocked. Sanosuke was a sight; he was bloody all over, especially his hands.

The former Zanza explained his fight with Anji and then Shishi-o, both expert fighters. "It's no big deal anyway," he shrugged. "Besides, I've got the secrets of the Futae no Kiwami up in my head, so you don't need to worry, okay Kitsune?"

Megumi dropped his hand in shock. The calloused palm, the hardened knuckles… broken bones which endured one battle after another… it felt so warm… so…

You've no need to worry…

Why was she so distracted? Doctors handed patients everyday, didn't they?

Kitsune…

"Worried? Bah!" Megumi scoffed, trying to mask her true reaction to their contact. She quickly withdrew her hand from his.

…

1. Megumi finished wrapping the new bandage around Sanosuke's hand. By then, she had grown more or less used to touching him, so she could rest easy in the knowledge that it would not give way to any revelation of her true feelings for the baka rooster head.

As she finished covering his hand in the white cloth, Sanosuke spoke up, "I don't know if you've had a change of heart or what, but when you try to be all cool and say "Ken-san's happy," you just totally screw it up."

The lady doctor paused and looked at him. Fox ears popped out of her head. "Maybe you're right . . . What a nice thing for you to say."

What's with those ears? Sanosuke thought to himself. Out loud he said, "I'm always nice."

Megumi tried not to roll her eyes at his self-appraisal. "All right, that's it for today. Come back in ten days."

And in ten days, I'll have to get myself under control again.

"What? You mean you're not done yet?" The former Zanza could not believe his ears.

"I'm treating you for free, so quit complaining! Your right hand was hurt worse than Ken-san was. It's not like this came out of nowhere! It's the side effect of that Kiwami no whatever!" Megumi retorted, grabbing a bedpan and aiming it at his head.

But I don't mid treating you free-of-charge for the rest of my life, if that means I can still see you.

…

Carefully, Megumi removed the white bandage and tossed it into the bin. She was about to replace it with another one when suddenly…

Her cupid red lips lightly brushed his temple. Her mouth tinged with sensation… ironically, the kiss had brought her even closer to the unconscious man who had no idea what was going on.

"Megumi-dono," There stood Kenshin and Kaoru at the door. Had they seen what had happened? Obviously, otherwise why would they be looking at her like that?

"I was checking his head." Megumi quickly lied. Thank goodness Yahiko isn't around, she thought to herself. Or else that ten-year old will probably have a field day. "Please, come in."

The scarlet-haired rurouni obliged, followed by Kaoru. They both sat down on the two chairs while Megumi continued standing and watching Sanosuke.

"He seems better than how Katsu describe him," Kaoru commented, looking the patient over.

The lady doctor nodded. "He's definitely improved since the first night' Katsu hasn't returned since he brought him in that night." That lazy oaf, why hasn't he come to check on his own childhood friend yet?

Kaoru started to say something about Katsu telling her about staying away from doctors who threw weapons of mass destruction at their patients, but decided not to.

"Well, I hope he gets better." Said the kendo teacher.

"He will." Megumi replied, never once taking her eyes off him.

"Well, we'll be back to check on him, that we will. You should go get some rest, that you should Megumi-dono." Said Kenshin, heading for the door.

Megumi looked up for the first time since their meeting and smiled. "Arigato, Ken-san, I will."

Kenshin nodded. "Let's get going, that we should, Kaoru-dono."

"But why?" Kaoru protested. She had just got here and now she had to get going again!

Kenshin gave her ponytail a gentle tug. "You should get more exercise, that you should, Kaoru-dono… ORO!" The gentle rurouni fell to the floor with a thud as Kaoru whacked him.

"What do you mean, I need exercise! Ken…" Their voices grew softer as they exited the clinic, leaving Megumi alone with Sanosuke once more.

…

"Feelings for him? You mean Megumi-san likes Sanosuke all this while but hasn't told anyone of us?" Kaoru asked as they walked out the clinic and back to the busy streets of Tokyo.

"Hai," came Kensin's reply. "Megumi-dono has feelings for Sanosuke, that she does. She's been waiting for this opportunity to spend more time alone with him, that she has. That's why I decided to leave so she could get some time alone with him."

"You mean, this is an excuse for Megumi to be alone with Sanosuke?"

"Hai."

They walked together in silence for awhile.

"You think Megumi will confess her feelings for him when he wakes up? She asked.

"Who knows, maybe she will, maybe she won't. Either way, it's her choice and it's not our part to interfere. Only she can decide the best time to tell him."

Kaoru nodded. "So where are we going to now?" she asked.

"This one has got some things that this one needs to do, that he does."

………………………………………………………………………………………

Author's Note: Think of me, people, think of me. It's 12.42 AM and I'm tired to the core. There's homework piling up, The Last Samurai is screening on HBO but I'm missing it again to get this in. I'M TIRED AND I WANT REVIEWS DAMMIT! I NEED CAFFEINE! RAH! RAHRAHRAH…

Megumi: throws a bedpan at mC. Hoho!

mC: oof… knocked out, drops to the floor and snores…sleep-talking…You might notice that the bedpan keeps popping up, yes, it's a common weapon around here…

Katsu: A little help? What a little help? I had to lift that fat Sanosuke, get the medicines, endure Megumi's whining about his injuries and I DIDN'T GET ENOUGH SLEEP EITHER! YOU GET IT? I WANT A MAJOR ROLE IN THIS FIC DAMMIT! … shakes mC wildly…

Megumi: Baka! You're supposed to let a patient rest! Not disturb them!... knocks Katsu out with a bedpan…

Have you noticed that bedpans are used for a completely different reason and not whacking patients?

Random shitiness… crappy attitude could be blamed on lack of sleep…

Until the next update! See ya! Jane! –grin5- mC