Chapter 23

(Kenshin)

Forcing my eyes open was a chore, and some part of me wanted to shut them again and remain asleep. My head was pounding, my throat dry and scratchy. I closed my eyes, putting a hand to my forehead and slowly pushing myself into a sitting position. I opened my eyes again, drawing my wings up slowly to block the light from my eyes. 'My wings?' I thought groggily. I blinked again, now focusing on the wall in front of me. I didn't remember releasing my wings. Come to think of it, I couldn't remember anything from last night.

I let my hand fall to my lap, narrowing my eyes as I thought. My head ached, but I had to know what had happened. My eyes suddenly widened. 'A man… a man came to the dojo last night. He said his name was Akki. But he was really…' I looked up. 'Enishi.'

He drugged me. Slipped something into my tea while he'd poured it for Kaoru and me. I cursed myself mentally as I pushed myself to my feet. Once there I regretted it instantly. My head began to spin and the floor beneath my feet tilted. I staggered, and then fell heavily on my side, wincing in pain.

I heard a sound from outside of the door, and then it slid open to reveal Kaoru's worried face. 'She heard me fall…' I thought through the fog in my brain. I looked up at her, and then opened my mouth to speak. Not a sound came out.

Kaoru ran forward, kneeling beside me and putting a hand on my shoulder. "Kenshin, are you alright? What's wrong?"

I, meanwhile, was struggling to speak. Not one sound would escape my throat, and I looked up at Kaoru helplessly.

She blinked. "Kenshin?"

I couldn't tell her what was wrong. I couldn't tell her who had been at her home last night, that the man we had taken in was the one who had kept me prisoner in his home for over a year.

She helped me sit up; worry filling her pretty sapphire eyes. "Kenshin, answer me."

I blinked, trying to figure out how to communicate to her that I couldn't. I finally touched my throat with two fingers, willing her to understand.

Her eyes widened. "Nani? Why won't you answer me?"

I frowned, touching my throat again and shaking my head. I opened my mouth, trying frantically to say her name, but once again, nothing happened. I looked away from her, ashamed.

She gasped. "You can't speak? Why? What happened?"

I suddenly remembered Enishi. I pushed myself back to my feet, ignoring the dizziness that flooded instantly into my senses and threatening to spill me on the floor again. I staggered out of the room, leaning heavily against the wall and my wings awkwardly spread for balance. I made it to the room we'd put him in, and yanked the door open, horrified to find it completely empty.

I heard Kaoru's footsteps behind me and I turned to look at her, shock in my eyes. She frowned. "He left earlier Kenshin. You've been asleep for a long time, it's nearly lunchtime."

That frightened me. I'd slept that long? Considering what time it had been when Enishi had drugged me, that was nearly 18 hours. Something wasn't right; he'd done something to me.

I left that room, going into the main room and sitting near the table, leaning over and resting my forehead on the table, pillowed on my arms. I willed the dizziness to go away, trying to clear my head enough so I could try and communicate with Kaoru.

I felt her gentle hands on my hair, stroking it comfortingly. She knelt beside me, resting her cheek against my shoulder. "Kenshin, are you okay? You're worrying me."

I sighed, sitting up straight. My head was not pounding as badly anymore, and I nodded slightly to Kaoru. I then pointed to the room where 'Akki' had been put for the night.

Kaoru tilted her head. "Akki-san? What about him?"

I then frowned, trying to think of a way to get her to understand. I brought forward one of my wings, pointing to a still red scar hidden among the feathers. Kaoru's brows twitched together. "Nani? I don't understand…"

I growled, but the sound wasn't heard by her. I pointed at the room again, and then at my scar. Kaoru blinked. "Akki-san made that?"

I nodded, smiling slightly. I pointed to the scar on my shoulder, and then another across my chest, pointing to the room.

Kaoru's eyes widened. "Akki-san? He is the man that abused you?"

I nodded frantically, but the motion caused my head to whirl again and I closed my eyes, trying to fight off the urge to pass out.

Kaoru was worried, frightened, and confused; I could see it all in her face. "But, why didn't you say anything last night? How could you have allowed him to stay here? Such an evil man as that!" I sighed, silently, and then shook my head. She blinked. "You mean you didn't know it was him?"

I nodded again, leaning against the table slightly as my world began to blur again. Whatever Enishi had done to me was beginning to take effect again, and I knew somehow that he'd probably injected me with something. He'd had a fondness for those things when I'd been his slave.

Kaoru, meanwhile, was thinking deeply, her eyes turned downwards and her face worried. She had clenched her hands in her kimono, and I saw the fire building in her sapphire eyes.

I raised my left hand to put it to my forehead, but something caught my eye. A mark on my arm, in the crook of my elbows. Reddened and slightly bruised, I knew that was where Enishi had injected his strange concoction into my body. I tapped Kaoru's shoulder, showing her the mark.

She frowned, taking my arm in gentle hands and examining the bruised area. "A needle. That's the puncture mark from a needle. I've seen Megumi work, and sometimes the patients would get that. A reaction their skin had."

Her frown deepened, and she stood, letting go of my arm. "We need to go see Megumi Kenshin, maybe she can figure out what's wrong with you. I can tell that you're having trouble staying awake though, so I'm not sure how we're going to be able to get there."

I stood beside her, grabbing and holding onto her arm as the floor tilted. I knew that it was important for me to get to Megumi, and she was an extremely talented doctor, perhaps she could stop the progress of this strange poison of Enishi's. I pulled on her arm slightly, taking a step towards the door.

She followed me, but I could still see the worry on her face. "Are you sure you'll be able to make it Kenshin?"

I nodded, tugging on her arm again. I focused, unable to whistle as I usually did to hide my wings, and they faded from view anyway. The two of us began to walk, and I struggled to keep a hold on my consciousness. I could see black creeping into my vision, but I continued to walk, knowing, and holding onto the fact, that I had to get to Megumi. She could help me.

Kaoru wrapped an arm around my waist, slinging my right arm over her shoulders. I looked at her in shock, and she smiled at me encouragingly. "Don't worry Kenshin. You'll be alright. Not much farther now."

I nodded, and focused back on my walking. Things around me began to blur, and I soon was walking in a haze, and I could barely tell where we were. 'I don't think I'm going to make it…' I thought fuzzily.

(Kaoru)

Kenshin's weight grew heavier on my shoulders as he continued to slump down, breathing getting harsher and heavier. I adjusted his weight, doggedly continuing on. We weren't far from Megumi's clinic now, and as we walked through the streets I could see other women and men giving us looks, mostly ones of worry and fear.

I glanced at Kenshin, worriedly noting the sweat gliding down his flushed skin, and his eyes growing dull as he fought to stay conscious. He suddenly stumbled, nearly dragging me down with him as he lost his footing. I dragged him back up, gritting my teeth.

He was focused on me, and I could see the apology in his eyes as the color faded and they slid shut, his body finally going limp against me. He sagged, his full weight nearly bringing me to the ground if it hadn't been for some other person. I looked up into the brown eyes of Sanosuke, and I smiled in relief. "Sano!"

His face was set in a frown, and he lifted Kenshin easily from my arms. "I'll take him from here Jou-chan. Lead the way."

I nodded, and turned, running into the town towards Megumi's clinic as fast as I could, Sano following behind me with Kenshin's unconscious body in his arms. 'Please be okay Kenshin…'