Chapter 6

(Karei)

By morning Kenshin had developed a terrible hacking cough, one that shook his thin body with each attack. This was more than likely from his time out in the pouring rain, which I didn't know how long he had been out there. He woke only a few more times, staying awake long enough to mutter incoherent words and drink some water. The fever I had been fighting to keep from worsening did so anyway, now coming from both the persisting infection and the illness that was creeping on from being cold, wet, and tired for so long. Unfortunately he was malnourished, and the illness was able to take a better hold in his small body.

I sighed and watched as he shivered beneath the blankets. Even though he was burning up with a horrible fever he wouldn't stop shaking, and I was feared that a full-blown pneumonia would develop. I knelt beside the boy, listening to his breathing with anxious thoughts. There was no wheeze to his breath, and I was glad.

He opened fever glazed eyes to look at me in confusion. "K-Kaasan?" He broke off with a hacking cough, closing his eyes and slumping over. I soothed him by pulling his hair away from his face, replacing the cold compresses I had applied to his forehead and the back of his neck in a hope to bring down his fever. He coughed for a moment more, skinny body shaking with the effort. He curled into a ball on the futon, and I watched sadly as his frame went limp as consciousness fled him again.

I again pulled his head up; trying to give him the medicine that I hoped would help bring down the fever. I had added more powerful herbs, and a few special plants I had discovered on my own that had helped my husband and others often. He coughed as the liquid hit his raw throat, trying to pull away from me. I held him in place with gentle hands and rubbed his throat. He finally swallowed, and I lay him back down on the futon.

I picked up my sewing again, succeeding in calming my frazzled nerves. The boy was quiet for some time, and I checked his temperature again, happy to find that it had gone down a little. It wasn't much but it was a welcome change, and I rejoiced. I changed the dressings on his shoulder wound and was happy to find the infection clearing up, the skin's red tinge leaving. I checked to make sure all the splits were solid and holding well, and then settled myself down again.

Late that night I checked Kenshin again to find that his fever had finally broken, and he was sleeping a peaceful sleep. I sighed in relief, removing the cold compresses and sitting beside him. He slept until early morning, until he finally opened tired violet eyes to look at me. "Karei-dono?"

I smiled and brushed his bangs from his forehead. "Ohayou Kenshin. How are you feeling?"

He blinked, still coming out of his sleep. "Better I guess. What happened?"

I frowned. "You had a really nasty fever all day yesterday. I thought you were going to catch pneumonia, but luckily it didn't get any worse. Other than that nothing exciting. Your wing, ankle and wrist are healing nicely, along with the arrow wound in your shoulder."

He sat up, putting a hand to his forehead and closing his eyes. "I don't remember anything from yesterday. Not a thing."

I put a hand on his bare shoulder. "It's alright Kenshin. That happens sometimes to those who have fevers."

He smiled at me. "Arigatou Karei-dono, you've been a great help to me." He sighed, running a hand through his bangs, then squinting in disgust and playing with a strand of his hair. "My hair feels like straw."

I giggled. "That would be because it's caked in sweat." I moved away from him to get a basin of water and some soap. "Here, lean back and I'll wash it for you."

He leaned back carefully on his elbows, being wary of his wings and broken wrist. I wet his hair gently and rubbed the soap into the fiery red strands, washing away the dried sweat from the past two days. I heard him sigh and I looked at his face, giggling when I saw his half lidded eyes.

"Mmmm…." he murmured, letting his head fall back on a limp neck. "That feels so good….."

I giggled and massaged his scalp with gentle fingers, eliciting another sigh from his lips. As I rinsed out his hair and toweled it dry I felt awkward, and ventured a question. "Kenshin? May I ask you a question?"

He turned to look at me curiously. "Hai Karei-dono. It is the least I can do in payment for what you've done for me."

"What happened to you Kenshin? Why did you collapse in the path like you did?"

He looked down, hesitating. I started to say he didn't have to, but he shook his head. "Iie, you deserve to know Karei-dono."

When he looked at me I saw wisdom in those eyes that should not have been there, not at his age. He looked so young, but his eyes told me that he was an old man inside. He had seen too much at his age. "I grew up in the Kyoto mountains with my tousan, Hiko Seijuurou."

"Seijuurou?" I questioned. Kenshin had said his last name was Himura, hadn't he?

"I took my kaasan's last name so I would remember her," he answered easily. "She died when I was four, and tousan took care of me ever since. He trained me in the ways of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu since I was nine. A few months ago, on my fifteenth birthday, he told me about my kaasan. That was the day I gained my wings, and the day I learned of my lineage. I saw men in the forest that day, but I didn't think much of it. But they returned, just a little while ago. They were after kaasan, they had seen her. I went to watch them, and one of them saw me. I panicked and took flight, but they followed me." He closed his eyes and fisted his hands in the blankets in his lap. "I'm such a baka! I lead them right to the cabin where tousan and I lived, and they shot me out of the sky." He paused again, clenching his fists tighter. "When I woke up I found the men either dead or dying in our yard, and….." He stopped, and I saw his shoulders shake slightly. His voice broke as he spoke again, tears evident in his tone. "They burned our cabin to the ground…..along with tousan….."

I watched the young boy in front of me dissolve into tears, and I was shocked to find out how old he really was. Only fifteen and he was already alone? This was entirely too much for him, and he sobbed for the loss of his life. I pulled him into my arms, crooning nonsense and petting his loose damp hair. He cried into my shoulder, and I held him until his shaky breaths calmed into even and deep breathing and he drifted back to sleep.

I lay him back down on the futon, gently wiping his face clean of dried tears and covering him with a light blanket. "I'm so sorry Kenshin. I will take care of you, don't worry…." I settled back down beside him, laying down in the futon I had set up in the room and closing my eyes to rest.