Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
Hey there my darling readers, HELLO AGAIN! Here goes another chapter.
Chapter 19
Kaoru opened her eyes slowly, it pained her just to do so. There was someone sitting in front of her. It was not the man with the amazing eyes. It was someone else.
She tried to sit up but choked at the pain at her chest.
"You should remain still, you're still very weak…" the man said.
Kaoru blinked and coughed, "Who are you?"
"I'm Amakusa Shougo, your doctor."
"What is wrong with me?"
"You are sick but you've past the critical stage. However, you've lost your memories."
Kaoru nodded, remembering the conversation she had with the white-haired man when she last regained consciousness.
"Who's the man with white hair? He said that he is very close to me before I lost my memory…"
"His name is Yukishiro Enishi and he cares very much for you, do you want to talk to him?"
Kaoru nodded uncertainly.
Shougo put a hand over hers, "Don't worry. You'll remember soon, it should not be permanent. We're always here for you."
" 'We'?"
"Yes, 'we'. Enishi and I. We'll help you, so don't worry."
Kaoru smiled weakly and nodded again.
Shougo smiled back and walked out of the room.
Moments later, Enishi appeared. He looked very tired with rings of dark circles under his eyes.
"Hello, Kaoru. How are you today?" he asked kindly.
"I'm fine," Kaoru replied. She stared at the man in front of her. His name was Yukishiro Enishi…but she did not remember him at all. He was a stranger to her but yet he and the doctor had told her that they were 'very close'. She did not remember anything at all. She brought up her hands to her view and looked hard at them. She didn't recognize the hands, she didn't know anything! What did she look like? Who were her friends? Where was her family?
Then, Kaoru cupped her face in her hands and gasped. She didn't even know what she looked like!
Enishi watched in anxiety as she put her hands to her face and gasped. Her loss of memory was worst than he expected. Then, he heard muffled sobs. She was crying.
"Kaoru?" he said gently. Kaoru continued to hide her face behind her hands.
"Kaoru, what's wrong?" Enishi asked again.
Very slowly, Kaoru removed her hands from her face and Enishi saw that her beautiful blue eyes were sparkling from her tears.
"I don't remember anything!" she sobbed, bringing up the blankets to her face, "I don't even remember my face!"
Enishi nearly laughed at Kaoru's outburst. She was too cute.
Kaoru looked at the curving corners of Enishi's mouth and frowned. "What is so funny?"
Enishi chuckled and kissed Kaoru lightly on the forehead, "Nothing, sweetheart. I could describe to you what you look like…"
Kaoru frowned harder, "Describe? Can't you just give me a mirror?"
Enishi laughed again, "Yes, I guess that would be much easier. You are so quick-witted, sweetheart."
" 'Sweetheart'?" Kaoru asked, "Why do you keep calling me that? My name is Kaoru!"
Enishi laughed again and ruffled her hair playfully.
Kaoru looked at the laughing Enishi suspiciously, "My name is Kaoru, isn't it?"
"Yes, yes. Your name is Kaoru. The one and only Kamiya Kaoru," Enishi said teasingly, still smiling. "I'll go get you a mirror,"
With that Enishi went out of the room, smiling. The Kaoru without her memories was much outspoken and very, very cute. He couldn't help but feel warm about his heart.
"Sano!" Kenshin shouted.
Sano turned and so did Megumi and Yahiko. They had just came out of Kaoru's house.
"Kenshin! What are you doing here?" Sano asked.
Kenshin ignored his question, "Did you find Kaoru?"
Sano shook his head, "No, there is no one inside."
Soujiro, Okina and Hiko caught up with Kenshin.
"Woah, you guys are here too?" Yahiko exclaimed.
"Is Kaoru here?" Soujiro asked.
"No…" Yahiko replied.
"How about let's go to my house for a rest first, and then we'll decide what we should do next?" Sano asked.
"You can go first, I'll meet you guys there later. I need to check something out at Kaoru's house." Kenshin said.
The rest nodded and followed Sano, leaving Kenshin standing in front of Kaoru's house.
Kaoru stared into the mirror, frowning.
"I have blue eyes?" she asked.
Enishi chuckled, "Yes, don't you like it?"
Kaoru frowned again, "Hmmm…I guess it is okay."
Enishi laughed, "So now you know what you look like, anything else you would like to know?"
Kaoru became serious, "Yes. Please tell me all that you know about me. Everything. I don't care if I don't remember anything you're telling me. I need to know. I have this awful feeling in my stomach ever since I wake up, like something is going happen…"
Enishi sighed, "Are you sure you want to know everything? It's going to be quite tiring and complicated for you."
Kaoru nodded and said very firmly, "Yes, please tell me."
Enishi sighed again, "Okay."
It was a few days later that Misao decided to come back to see Aoshi at the hospital.
Misao went in quietly and sat down next to a sleeping Aoshi. His head was still bandaged, some parts of his black silky hair escaping from it and touching his face playfully. Even covered by so many bandages, he was still so beautiful.
She had made a decision in her mind, and she continued to sit next to him and wait for him to wake up.
Enishi told her all he knew, except for parts on her relationship with Kenshin. He was afraid that it would lead her to remember painful memories that caused her to break down in the beginning. Kaoru laughed when he told her that she had special powers and about Misao, Sano, Soujiro and The Aorta. In Enishi's explanation, Kenshin became a close friend of hers, not the man she loved. So everything remained the same except for Kenshin's role in her life.
Enishi watched Kaoru laughed, and thought that he had done a marvellous job of making everything light and funny. He really hoped that everything will stay this way. He had yet found out about what had happened between Kaoru and the Battousai that caused Kaoru to lost control of her powers at the headquarters of The Aorta.
He also told her about her asthma attacks and told her to be very careful. "Try to be strong, Kaoru. We need your body to be strong so that you can contain all the powers in you possess."
Kaoru nodded eagerly and asked, "Will I meet the people you told me about just now? Where are they? I would like to see them…"
Enishi smiled and said, "They are every busy with their lives right now but they've all promise to come see you. They didn't know that you've lost your memories."
Kaoru nodded thoughtfully and yawned, their long conversation was tiring her out.
Enishi noticed that and said kindly, "Why don't you take a nap first?"
Kaoru nodded and settled her head comfortably into the pillow before yawning again. She closed her eyes, not even aware of Enishi stalking out of the room soundlessly.
Then, she realized that Enishi had not told her what part he played in the life that she had forgotten.
The first room Kenshin went to was Kaoru's. Just being in the house once again brought all the memories washing over him, they were haunting him with every step he took. Her room was so bare and white, so plain and pale. All the decorations to it were a painting of a scenery hanging above her bed. There were also several other paintings covered by white cloth on the floor, and some brushes were tossed on the floor.
Then, he saw something that caught his eyes. One of the paintings was not covered properly, a flash of red was peeking out from it. Kenshin strode towards it and took off the cloth. He gasped at the sight of it. It took his breath away, his eyes widening and he began to feel the strange thumping of his heart as he studied the painting.
It was him.
It was the painting that Kaoru had promised to give to him. She had finished it after all…
It was him with his bright fiery hair, purple eyes and the vivid scar on his face. It was so real that it was almost scary.
For very long time, Kenshing just stared at the painting. He remembered Kaoru telling him that she'll give it to him once it was done. His heart constricted and his breathing tensed.
What had he done?
Kaoru woke up in the bright sunlight and the first thing she saw as a pair of amazing turquoise eyes staring back at her.
"Enishi?" she murmured.
Enishi smiled and took her hand before sitting down on a chair beside her bed.
"How are you feeling this morning?" he asked.
Kaoru sat up and nodded cheerfully, "I feel good…and…"she paused.
"And what?"
Kaoru sighed, "Bored…"
Enishi laughed.
"No!" Kaoru exclaimed, "I'm serious…I felt like I have been here forever! How long have I been on this bed…really?"
"Hmmm…"
"How long, Enishi?"
"Two weeks…almost three weeks…"
"See? No wonder I am bored! Even though I am unconscious most of the time…my body knows it, you know?"
Enishi laughed again. He looked at Kaoru in the eye and at her childish expression. Is it possible to fall more in love with a woman you are already madly in love with? He asked himself. Because it was exactly what was happening to him right now. He longed to just swept her up in his arms and whisper to her that she'll always be all right because he's there and kiss her senseless. But he couldn't do that….
"Enishi?" Kaoru asked again.
Enishi snapped himself back to concentration and smiled at Kaoru.
"So I was thinking…"Kaoru said, "Maybe we could get out of this place for fresh air…and I am don't want to wear this hospital costume anymore…it make me feel like an invalid."
"But, Kaoru, your conditions…"
"What about my conditions?"
"You're still too weak to talk and walk…you should rest a bit more before you think about getting out of bed and walking around."
"But I feel sick being here everyday…waiting for you or Doctor Shougo. It makes me feel weaker than I really am."
Enishi remained silent for a while, deep in thought.
"Oh please, Enishi? Please?" Kaoru begged.
Enishi chuckled and ruffled her hair again, "Okay, I'll talk to Shougo and let you know okay?"
"Promise me that you'll persuade him the best you can?"
"I promise."
Koaru smiled, "Thank you."
Then, Enishi left to talk to the doctor.
Back at Sano's house.
"Where is Kenshin?" Yahiko, walking in through the front door. In the dinning room sat Sano, Megumi, Soujiro, Okina and Hiko. But Kenshin was no where in sight.
"In one of the rooms, mourning…" Sano replied.
"What happened?"
"I don't know, he came back with all his bangs covering his face…let him be for a while…I need to eat first!"
With that Sano grabbed the plastic bags from Yahiko's hands and the rest began to chomp down the junk food and drinks. Yahiko joined in, "Leave some for me!"
Meanwhile…
Kenshin was sitting on the floor, his head on his knees, deadly silent.
He had hurt her so much. He had said such cruel words to her, making her hate him. Ridiculing her love for him by being so sarcastic and heartless. He remembered how he told Enishi that he didn't love Kaoru that their relationship was a meaningless dalliance. He knew for sure now that it was not.
He loved Kaoru with all his heart.
She had told him in that broken voice of hers that she loved him. She had begged him to listen to her. And in return, he had destroyed her with no hesitation.
But in reality, deep inside his heart, he knew very well that he was crazy about Kaoru. His heart ached with his love for her.
Kaoru was goodness and gentleness and trust. And love.
She was everything to him.
So Kenshin lay there, tormenting himself by replaying the harsh words he had said to Kaoru.
Enishi came into Kaoru's room quietly, and was surprised to find Kaoru wide awake, waiting for him.
Kaoru smiled up at him expectantly, "So? What did Dr. Shougo say? Can I go out?"
Enishi laughed and patted her head affectionately, "Yes, he agreed that some fresh air will do you good. So that is why I brought you this."
Enishi held up a paper bag.
"What's inside?" Kaoru asked.
"Clothes."
"Clothes?"
"Yes, I didn't know your size, but since you are so skinny, I got you smallest of everything. This is just a set of clothes, when we go out today, you can choose your own clothes."
Kaoru took the paper bag from him and stared at the clothes with eyes as big as saucers.
Enishi chuckled at her expression.
Her set of clothes consisted of a simple flowy skirt, a tight white top, a brown coat and a pair of golden ballet slippers.
"My gosh, Enishi! These are so beautiful!" Kaoru exclaimed.
"You like them?"
"Of course! When can I we go out? I can't wait to try these on!"
"This afternoon."
Kaoru smiled and jumped up to hug him.
"Thank you so much, Enishi!"
Enishi blushed and laughed again, "You're welcomed."
Kenshin finally got himself to get out of his despair and leave the dark room.
He walked out to the dinning room where everyone else was, and conversation and laughter immediately ceased.
They stared up at him worriedly.
"Kenshin?" Sano said.
"Prepare to leave." Kenshin said curtly, "Kaoru wouldn't just appear magically. We need to look for her."
"How about Enishi?" Yahiko asked.
"If we find Kaoru, we'll find him too." Kenshin replied. "Let's go."
Then, he walked out of the room.
"You heard him, let's pack up everyone." Okita said.
The rest nodded obediently and began to get ready. They had returned to their original worry and despair again.
A/N: Okies, I finally am able to get this chapter out. It is one that I started before I put up my 'hiatus' notice. So I hope you enjoy.
royal blueKitsune: Hey! Thank you for your support and encouragement and the e-mail too…I am sorry that I won't be able to write for a while. But I hope you like this chapter! More twists and love is coming on! Please do review again and tell me what you think!
Tameka-tanuki-jouchan: Hey! I'm glad that you like this story as well! And I'm sorry that Healing won't be updated for a while. But I'll be back! I hope you like this chapter and do please review so I'll know what you think!
Jrz: My dear, I've finally got this chapter out! YEAY! Cheer for your mother! Okies, I hope you like this chapter and please do review!
