Chapter 17: Exhaustion

If one were to go day by day, they would say time seemed to stop, but when looked at from a weekly point of view, they seemed to fly by. Each day seemed long of course since the little sleep they got made it seem like all the days ran together in constant fighting. The weather was usually steaming hot and sticky, leaving every man sweating after only minutes of being out. Summer was here, and it was a hot one.

Kaoru wasn't positive on how many weeks had gone by since summer started though Saitou told her it had been about three. It seemed he would sometimes come and watch her bathe every once in awhile now. At first she thought he was being perverted, but she figured now that he was just waiting for the return of Soujirou. So far, there was nothing.

On this particular night he was not there to pester her, and she sat in the shallow, cool water, not going deep in like usual, and not moving at all. Her body ached from the work they'd done, her stomach growled from the extreme cutbacks on food now that they did not have enough time to cook enough. As she pondered things, trying to stay awake, she went over her skills and was slowly realizing that she was starting to get more sloppy in battle. Yes, she was winning against many opponents now, but they were doing fairly badly as well.

Yes, it seemed that so little food and so much work and the lack of sleep was indeed weakening the team. Of course, she wasn't going to speak out to Shoji about this. She was still trying to keep out of his eye contact.

Finally, she forced herself into the deeper, cooler water that was a little soothing, a little stinging on her aching joints and scrubbed herself clean. She practically crawled out when she was finished.

After she dried off, she dressed, and headed back towards camp. It was harder to see the path at night, but she'd gotten used to shoving her way through leaves and bushes.

"I'm so tired…" She moaned as her path brought her in with the other guys who were all slumping and trudging the way she was. The ground seemed to look closer… and closer… and closer?

Her arm was yanked up and placed around a shoulder. "Just try and stay up long enough until we get back," Yahiko told her in a sleepy voice. She nodded.

One thing she'd learned why she'd been here was to accept help when offered. Being stubborn was foolish, especially in times like this. One warrior could not win a battle.

Everyone seemed to move slowly now, but they all went for a half bowl of rice, knowing they'd need the energy in the morning.

Just looking at it made Kaoru sick. She was too tired to eat. In fact, her bowl tumbled to the floor the moment she sat on her futon since she fell back, out cold.

The disturbing part was the way quite a few guys gathered around to get their share of the rice, scooping it off of the nasty floor. Yahiko pulled a cover over her and laid down in his own spot after finishing eating. "I really just want to go home…" He whispered, tears brimming in his eyes as he shut them to dream of what seemed so far away.

-

Morning came again. Everyone started waking with moans and groans.

Kaoru on the other hand woke up and didn't move. She felt like she was freezing, and her eyes would barely stay open.

"Come on," Yahiko said, pulling her out of bed. "You'll get in trouble if you don't get up now."

She stumbled onto her feet, then fell against him. "I'm… so… tired…" She mumbled. Her entire body was sore, even more painful than yesterday.

"Stand up," Yahiko told her nervously as Shoji's feet stomped on the stairs. He pushed her into a standing position, and she placed her hand over her right eye to try and calm the headache she had.

"You know the drill, everyone out!" Shoji commanded, and they all started on their way. Kaoru was jealous of the man. He seemed to get full nights of good rest just so when he got up he'd just tell them what to do, sit back, and watch them like they were some kind of show. He was unnecessary and making it harder on everyone else.

Yahiko took Kaoru's hand and led her out the door since she had dazed off into space. It freaked her out at first, but after she saw him, she settled down. "I can walk by myself," She told him and found her voice to be surprisingly scratchy and weak.

Sano trailed backwards and started walking with the two of them. "Hey, Kahei, are you feeling okay?" He asked, gazing at her in concern.

"Is anybody?" She responded bitterly. "Why ask me?"

"You're really pale…" He commented.

"I'm always pale," She replied. Most women had fair skin.

"Yeah, I know, but even more," Sano told her.

"I see it too," Yahiko said, glancing over his shoulder at her. "There's a flush in your cheeks also."

"Well, I'm certainly not finding anything in you guys to make me blush," She retorted, passing them.

Sano grabbed her wrist and turned her around, and she glared at him. He placed his hand on her cheek and then on her forehead. "Just as I thought," He said smartly. "You have a fever."

"You… think?" Yahiko asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, shaddup!" Sano growled.

"I'm fine," She said, continuing down the steps.

Sano and Yahiko looked at each other, then followed after. It was only near the bottom that Sanosuke backtracked (unnoticed by Yahiko) and went to go find Megumi.

-

Her legs felt wobbly. She couldn't quite get the feeling in them to go away as she drew her sword. It felt heavier than usual against her aching wrists.

"Maybe I'm not so fine…" She mumbled, shaking the dizzy feeling out of her head.

Yahiko stepped up. "I'll face you, Kahei."

She nodded. "Right… Come at me then…"

Yahiko did so, but he came a bit slowly and very obviously swung sloppily on purpose.

"Don't go easy on me!" She yelled, swinging at him… and missing him completely.

Yahiko sighed, sheathing his weapon and stood in front of her. "Wh-what?" She asked.

He put his hand against her forehead and his other one against his own. "You're burning up, Kahei."

"So?" She asked defensively. "If I could lay down and sleep all day, don't you think I would? I'll be okay."

"If you're sure…" Yahiko said, stepping back and pulling out his weapon again.

"Hey, worry about your own problems," She said, smirking to put up the façade that she was okay. Truthfully, she was feeling worse every minute. Of course, it wouldn't make any difference, since after seeing how Shoji treated someone as ill as Tomi, she knew she didn't stand a chance at getting a free day.

-

Sano glanced into the building. "Megumi?"

Walking in, his footsteps echoed. He hadn't seen her down on the field, so he figured she had to be inside. Heading up the stairs he glanced in the second room. Nothing but futons. Up to the third floor, he found no sign of her once again. There was no other place she could be but on their leader's floor. Come to think of it, he hadn't been out there either. He must have headed back up the steps after he sent them all out.

When he arrived at the top he reached to open the rice-paper door but went silent when he heard voices inside, seeming to be in the middle of an argument. He immediately knew who they were.

"I'm a doctor! I know that what you're doing is not making these men any stronger!" Megumi's voice yelled. "If they keep working this hard with this little food, they'll be dropping like flies!"

"I know what I'm doing!" Shoji responded angrily. "You stay out of my business and stay in yours!"

"The health of these men IS my business, SIR, and if you keep this up, their health is going to spiral downwards until they die!"

Die! Sano thought.

"Don't be stupid," Shoji said, shoving the subject off as if it was no big deal.

"I'm not being stupid, SIR! Men's lives are at stake!"

"I'm no here to care about their lives!" He yelled, silencing her. "I'm only here to make sure they fight. Whether they die or not is not my concern."

Megumi was silent for a moment, not because she was done fighting, but the sheer shock of his words blew her away.

That bastard…Sano though with vengeance. I ought to teach him a lesson!

"You…" Megumi whispered, sounding disgusted. "You--"

"I---" He replied, sounding snotty as usual. "I make the rules and control this camp, girl, and as long as you're here, you can hold your tongue and do as I command."

Megumi from what Sano could tell was trembling with anger. "Sir…" She said quietly, a dangerous shake in her voice. "I was sent here to aide these men and try to get them home safely when all of this blows over. As a woman I understand that I don't have many rights here, and I'm supposed to listen to what you say, but as a doctor, I cannot turn my back on these people!"

Sano blushed. She was so amazing when she did speeches like that.

"Well, now, Miss DOCTOR. You've contradicted yourself. You know you're supposed to listen, but you won't. Women are supposed to follow their men."

"You're not my man," She said simply.

"Women are supposed to follow men regardless. You apparently don't know your place, so allow me to help you out!" Shoji's silhouette raised his hand and swung back.

The rice paper doors were kicked open by an enraged Sano who just couldn't take it anymore. "If you lay a hand on her I swear I'll break your neck!" He cracked his knuckles, his eyes burning with the fire of his wrath.

"Sanosuke," Megumi gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

"Do you have some business with me, Sagara?" Shoji asked, looking very cross that Sano had destroyed his doors.

"I was looking for Megumi," Sano replied, stepping in front of her. "A bunch of the guys aren't looking so good, and I knew she could help. I figured she already knew, but I didn't know you'd be such a prick about it and leave us all to die like dogs. I should walk out of here right now and go back to Tokyo to let them know how you're treating us!"

"No you won't," Shoji replied staring at his fingernails.

"--and just why not!"

"-because I know for a fact that you have no sense of direction."

Sano swore a word that normally would make Megumi hit him. "I never knew that I'd find someone I hated more than Saitou."

"You two better get out of my face, or I'll make sure of it."

Sano wanted to object, but when Megumi clutched his shoulder, he swore again under his breath, took her hand, and led her out of the room.

"I'll expect you back up here after dinner to fix these doors, Sagara."

"Go to hell."

He would later go back to fix it anyways.

Once they reached the bottom floor, Megumi slammed him up against the wall. "Are you crazy?"

"Sort of," He responded, raising an eyebrow.

"He could have sliced you in two if he wanted!"

"Better me than you, right?" He asked, smiling.

Her cheeks turned bright red. "Oh, stop it!"

"For now, I will," He responded, shrugging. "Right now, you need to do what you do best and help out a bunch of those guys out there."

"-but I'm not allowed," She said bitterly. "I'm a woman…"

"You're a doctor, last time I checked, and those guys need you."

She looked into his eyes, then sighed, putting on a smile. "Right."

-

With every move Kaoru made against Yahiko, she felt worse and worse. Her stomach churned and tumbled, her head pounded, her throat and eyes stung, and every muscle in her body ached with such intensity she found it hard to breathe.

"Kahei!" Yahiko's voice yelled, yet it seemed so distant from her.

Her sword slid across the ground, and she found herself against it moments later. Her hands looked like white blobs in her vision.

"Kahei," A voice said as she was lifted off the ground and bent backwards so that she was laying in someone's arms.

She blinked her eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her vision managed to clear enough to see Kenshin's face hovering above hers, his amethyst eyes reflecting deep concern. She mouthed his name and smiled slightly.

"Ken-san, move over…" Megumi's voice.

Megumi's cool hand was soothing against her forehead and cheeks as she felt for fever. "This is horrible," She said.

"What's the problem?" Kenshin asked worriedly.

"It's a sever case of exhaustion, I believe," Megumi said. "Carry him inside for me, will you, Ken-san?"

Kaoru felt herself being lifted, but she couldn't work herself closer to him. Her whole body hung limp in his arms.

"I knew he wasn't okay…" Yahiko whispered, hanging his head in shame. "I shouldn't have let him get away with it…"

"Don't blame yourself, Yahiko," Sano said, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Our leader wouldn't have let him stop even if you begged him."

"Yeah, I know… I mean, we all remember what happened to the last guy who was ill…"

His voice went out of hearing distance as she felt as Kenshin carried her up the stairs.

"You're going to be all right…" He assured.

"Ken… shin…" She whispered, her eyesight dimming to blackness.

(A/N: A little SanoMegumi for the fans of that. If you don' t like them together however, just look at it from a friendly POV. It took me awhile to get this up. Sorry 'bout that. The story is getting closer to the end! I'm not sure if I want it to end! No, Kenshin's not going to find out in the next chapter, so don't ask me. Man, you guys are impatient! I love you anyways though. 3 Hope you liked the chapter!)